Protester in Korea Kills Himself, Third Such Suicide in Two Weeks

AP

Published: May 8, 1991

SEOUL, South Korea, Wednesday, May 8—
A young man yelling anti-Government slogans set himself on fire and jumped off a university building today in a protest against the fatal beating of a student by the police.

The protester, identified as Kim Ki Sul, doused himself with paint thinner and jumped from the main building at Sogang University here, witnesses said. They said he died immediately. School officials said they were unsure whether Mr. Kim was a student.

It was the fourth self-immolation in less than two weeks during protests in South Korea. Two other young people have died, and another remains in critical condition. Killing by Police Started Protests

The protests began after the fatal beating of a 20-year-old student by the police at an anti-Government protest on April 26.

On Tuesday, about 1,000 riot policemen fought for nine hours with clubs and tear gas to gain control of a morgue where protesters guarded the body of Park Chang Soo, a 30-year-old labor leader who died after staging a protest in prison. The police said about 200 workers and students had been arrested and dozens of police officers and protesters had been injured.

Dissidents said the police wanted to seize Mr. Park's body to destroy evidence that might indicate he had been killed. The Government says he apparently committed suicide.

Prosecutors said late on Tuesday that an autopsy done after the police took over the morgue showed Mr. Park had died of a broken spine and ruptured intestines suffered in a fall.

Mr. Park's family charged that the autopsy was a Government coverup.

An alliance of 40 dissidents and worker and student groups issued a statement demanding that President Roh Tae Woo fire the Labor Minister and the Justice Minister and investigate Mr. Park's death. They demanded the release of 1,300 political prisoners.

About 600 radical students shouting "Don't compromise with the murderous regime!" staged a sit-in in the main offices of the leading opposition New Democratic Union Party, which has discouraged violence in the ongoing protests.